Battle of the Gods
by haikalmochtar96
Summary: It was supposed to be another normal day for Usami Sumireko. Or...should be. Until, Usami formed a clique to investigate a mysterious group of wanted criminals named Longinus Dreizehn Orden which was supposedly an occult group operating under Nazi Germany - only to find big trouble coming.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Touhou belongs to ZUN and Dies Irae belongs to Masada. I own neither. While I'm still thinking about the world building for Tanya and Dies Irae crossover, I have an idea about a certain snake (not you, Kanako) wrecking havoc at an unprecedented scale in Touhou. Yep, not only Gensokyou will be affected.**

 **Prologue**

 _Such beauty._

 _Such innocence._

 _Such pure-hearted existence…_

 _How did she end up treated like garbage?_

 _Only because she had the power to bring death upon those who live…she was feared by fools who are blinded by their short-sighted desires?_

 _How sad…how pitiful…how tragic._

 _Truly…those idiots trapped in the cycle of life and death kept loathing death._

 _Little do they understand the truth. That everything has been decided before creation even began._

 _The strong, the weak, the rich, the poor, the pure, the impure, the intelligent, the dumb, the pious, the sinner, the enlightened, the fallen ones, all of them were decided since time immemorial._

 _What if they knew about this? So what? Will they be able to accept reality as it is?_

 _The gods shall have their dominions. The powerful shall have their powers. The rich shall have their riches. The poor shall be cursed to poverty. The evil shall be wicked, and the righteous just._

 _The beautiful, the hideous, the strong, the weak, the big, the small, the fortunate, the miserable…and finally, victors and losers._

 _What if all that has been carved since eons ago, giving no room for divergence?_

 _Then the sinners have nothing to answer for, nor do saints have any virtue to their name._

 _What if a single action has been carved since eons ago and not done by a person's volition?_

 _Then are we merely drifting in the passage of time?_

 _Would anyone be content with such a world?_

 _A world to which power is given not earned, would one accept knees bent on a throne built on such falsehood?_

 _Those in possession of such knowledge can laugh joyfully, oblivious to the meaning of life, being nothing more than mere slaves._

 _Should this be the fate of all, then I, shall resist this meaningless farce._

 _I shall walk this road to its utmost conclusion, and at the distant place I can call my finale, compose an opera that only belonged to me._

 _I vow to struggle for eternity till the light of victory shines upon all._

 _Although all are bind to this cursed chain…_

 _Let us pray that the step we take is the true step that holds the deepest meaning._

 _So that the one I love shall no longer face such farce from fools._

"Ah…how lovely," said a human.

He had a poet-like voice and spoke as if he was singing. His melancholic expression and soft demeanor were directed to a single woman.

"Are you not afraid of me?" asked a woman.

The maroon-eyed woman looked at the long-haired man that smiled faintly.

Her soft-spoken voice sounded hesitant. For all she knew, she was the personification of death.

Whether they were human or youkai, all of them died whenever they faced her. Only few found comfort when present around her.

Yet, it was not their fault. For the woman was the princess of the Saigyouji, the ruler of death.

With the power to control death and departed spirits, she was truly an odd existence worthy of fear by those who could not fathom her true nature. For she was beyond their comprehension.

"Milady, all I desire is to love you. I am unlike those fools who fear you for something they will face sooner or later. I do not fear death. Even if you are the personification of death, I would gladly embrace you in my heart."

Truly, only sincerity could be felt from those words.

To that woman, that man was truly an odd existence. He was sitting beside her, yet she felt as if she was looking at a projection of something faraway.

"So what? Will I die because I loved you? Then what? Death is not the end, nor is eternal separation. Dying in your hands…would be a great honor to me."

The woman smiled.

"I would rather die…than living with any regret."

Not many could mutter such words. She recognized the man's courage.

More importantly, she recognized that the man may not even die from being around with her.

She remembered their first meeting.

His existence was thin, as if it had withered and shriveled up.

He resembled an old man who have achieved everything; there was no sign of desire or will from him. His obsidian eyes seemed to have frozen in a state of eternal decay.

She felt as if she was looking at dead fish, or rather… something that survived being pulled from its natural place.

An existence that was truly out of place. Thus, it was unable to achieve its truest desire – death.

It remained unable to die, so it was forced to live on and suffer. The cruelest punishment anyone could ask for.

"You are truly fascinating. Never had anyone approached me before. And to think that someone would actually confess his love to me…"

The man whose blue hair was even longer than the woman's, smiled gracefully.

He gave an expression of someone who was content with life yet refused to give up on it.

"Will you promise me one thing?" asked the woman.

"Anything for you, milady."

"Will you love me…forever? Even if something happens to me…even if I died earlier than you…or?"

The man cut that woman's words. For he felt the question to be one asked by a foolish, but innocent human.

"Truly, truly. How many times have I said this, my dear one?"

The man had lost track of the number of times he had said this.

"Even if all existence ends, I will continue loving you. For only you are the one in my heart, my dear Goddess. No matter how many times I must endure hell, I will continue this struggle. So that our love may break any curse falling upon us."

Those words were not lies muttered by a fluent poet. Those were muttered by someone that truly meant every single word.

Even for that pure-hearted maiden, she was not naïve enough that she could differentiate between true emotions and lies.

Therefore, she would acknowledge that man who filled the void in her heart.

The man then smiled gently at the love of his life.

"What about you? Will you promise me something?"

The man's gaze upon the soft-hearted woman's eyes and ignited an intense, but warm feeling in her heart.

"Will you promise me that you won't forget me, even if we're not meant to be together?"

The question sounded selfish and childish.

Still, that woman chuckled at that man's childish side. Perhaps, she loved that side of him too. To reciprocate his feelings for her, she gently rested her head on his left shoulder.

"How can I ever forget, my dear Mercury?"

* * *

May 1st, 1945, Berlin.

The closing act of the Second World War was the manifestation of a total war on an unprecedented scale.

The term 'carnage' was more suitable to describe it.

There was no way out for the German people. The Soviets marched forward from the East, while the Western Powers crushed every resistance possible.

Outmanned and outgunned in every way, Berlin stood in complete isolation, slipping towards the crevice of annihilation.

The virtually endless number of Soviet soldiers had already surrounded all corners of Berlin. There was no escape for the defending Germans.

Guns roared along with the screams of death as the city was razed and bombarded by heavy artillery and weaponry.

Bloodshed. Carnage. All in order to eliminate the enemies known by the whole world.

Justice, love, peace, vengeance, freedom – it did not matter. No matter what slogan was used, the horror would not change.

The chaos engulfing the streets demonstrated quite readily what men would do when presented with a higher cause to justify their acts.

For example…

A blinding light flashed, followed by a loud explosion.

This latest bombardment sent three recognizable humans to their deaths.

Their remains were spread across the pavement.

"Fuck you!"

With a loud curse, a man held a Panzerfaust in his hand as he jotted out of the trenches.

Protected by the covering fires of his allies, he took position at an effective firing range.

He rose to his knees, took aim and pulled the trigger. The projectile shot forward, hitting the flank of a tank.

The tank imploded in a torrent of liquified metal and several thousand degrees flame.

The man tossed aside his Panzerfaust and started to clean up the remaining enemies while being covered by his comrades. Such was war, it was even more terrifying than a youkai attack.

In fact, it turned humans into monsters – effectively replacing the duty of youkai from this world.

It removed man's compassion and replaced it with the primordial instinct of survival of the fittest.

Thus, the perpetrators of this chaos howled and raged. Reveling in boundless insanity to keep their blood afire.

Within this flaming wasteland of gunplay, soldiers continued their murderous dance as if it was some divine offering to the god of war.

Naturally, it was all for naught. No matter what the soldiers did, it was useless. The outcome of this war was set in stone regardless of the soldiers' efforts to repeal the invaders.

The Third Reich has crumbled. Its visionary leader had committed suicide and its ambition turned into ashes in the flames of war.

What remained on the battlefield was the shaken remains of the defeated and the mob of the victors flocking like vultures to the smell of the decaying flesh.

Certain death.

Irreversible defeat.

Any attempt to retaliate was nothing more than a self-serving act of revenge with no hope of salvation.

Still…

"Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!"

His heart beat still.

His hand grabbed the steel of death.

He would not stop for as long as his heart continues its rhythm.

For he swore to do it.

If there was one thing – even a small thing – to justify this insane hellfire, then that alone is a miracle that not even Kochiya Sanae could invoke.

Honor and glory debased and disgraced, worth less than pig shit – yet human lives remained the cheapest currency.

Such was reality.

"Is this…all that's left?"

After handling the remaining foes, the man retreated and regrouped with his comrades. Including himself, there were only three people standing.

The company responsible to defend the perimeter had been completely crushed. The situation was anything but promising, yet waves of enemy troops are yet to arrive.

"What about our Panzerfaust?" the man asked.

"Unfortunately, that was our last ammo, Sergeant. This is the end for us…the war is lost."

The young man flashed a bitter smile as he handed over his Schmeisser to the other. The older man glared at him but offered no reproach.

For the young man's words were nothing but the truth. The company was gone, and they would join them soon.

"Hmph. Your name, soldier?"

"Joachim Brauner. What about you, sir?"

"I am Walter Gerlitz. I suppose it is best to know the names of the soldiers we're going to die with. You there!"

"Ah…"

It was the voice of a very young boy, most likely in his teen.

If Walter had a son, he would most likely be around his age.

"Marco Schmitt, sir."

Walter was about to ask what a child was doing in the battlefield, but he retracted his intention. It was a foolish question to ask – the enemy would not show mercy, even to children.

The reason for it was clear – they were the loathed enemies of the Red Army, the Schutzstaffel. The reputed killing machine of the Reich. Even if they surrendered to the Reds, they would either be dead or be sent to Gulag camps in Siberia and slaved to death.

As such, fighting to the last breath was the only option available to them.

Walter was certain Joachim was prepared to be sacrificed for the Fatherland. As for the child…

"What will happen to Berlin, no, Germany, after the war?"

There was no response.

"What about our families and friends?"

The one to interrupt was Joachim.

"Heh. The victors will paint us as monsters that tried to take over the world. This shit will continue as victors will decide history while the losers will suffer as long as the victor wants it too. That is the price of losing."

Joachim's loud voice made his dissatisfaction clear.

"My family lived in Dresden. But they were caught in the massive bombing campaign by the Western powers – never so much found a piece of them. And they called us monsters? Fuck that. We were merely fighting for the Reich. And yet those bastards…who the hell do they think they were?"

He would never surrender. Yet, the war was a lost cause. A single soldier could not change the outcome of war no matter how hard he tried.

With this defeat, the Reich and its descendants would…

Joachim tried to explain his feelings while Marco silently listened.

"So, if I have nothing to lose…at least I should…ugh!"

Several rifle shots echoed from their left just then.

Walter and Marco managed to duck, but Joachim was not so lucky.

The first bullet shot his head, while successive waves of bullets penetrated his chest.

Pelted by endless bullets, Joachim's body contorted in a queer manner almost reminiscent of some form of dance before finally hitting the ground.

An anticlimactic ending indeed for a man who had just expressed his desire to fight to the bitter end.

But that was the reality of the situation here. There was no hero, no miracle, no salvation, no hope; only men dying like insects.

Should one allow the emotions of despair take control of himself, the shinigami would be content with that as the person would make their jobs much easier.

War never tolerated idle thoughts. Only knowledge and duty had meaning here.

As Walter rolled into the safety of a ruined building, he shouted the name of his lone surviving comrade with all he could muster.

But, instead of words.

A flashing light became the reply to his shout. A fiery explosion followed suit.

The upper half of the young boy's body was flung at Walter's feet.

Walter powerlessly dropped his knees to the sea of blood.

"Ah…Sergeant…forgive me…for being useless…"

Marco smiled, even as the embers of his life faded away – it was unbelievable someone could still form words in a state like this. Walter took the boy's hand.

"I refuse to die. I can't die. If I die here…then what were we fighting for all this time?"

The old man remained silent.

"Sir…please tell me. What would happen to Berlin, and Germany…"

"You mustn't talk!"

As the gunfire continued, a brand new tank rolled into the battlefield. Marco Schmitt was beyond help. There was no other way for him besides death.

Thus, Walter knew his position was to confront the enemies. His ears should be listening to the breath of enemy troops, not to the laments of a dying child. That was his priority as a soldier.

He knew that better than anyone, yet…

"Are we…sinners? Are we…monsters? Is this punishment for our sins?"

There was no honor in murder and battle…but

Joachim, Walter and many other German soldiers had taken up arms to fulfill their duties as citizens of the Reich. To defend it from the aggression of the Western Powers, Poland and the communists.

It was the Western Powers that had declared war on Germany in 1939 to honor their treaty with Poland.

It was Stalin that had ambitious plans to expand westward and seize continental Europe as Germany and the West struggled for dominance in Europe.

Yet…

"Waging a war is not a sin," Walter replied, "but losing one is."

Walter found his resentment towards God growing.

Marco Schmitt then passed away in Walter's arm as the man gazed to the heavens. The young boy's smile, albeit tainted with mud and blood, showed signs of boyhood.

"Worry not, Schmitt, Brauner."

A smile mirroring Schmitt's one formed on Walter's face.

"If we lose this one, then we'll win the next one. Or after it. Or after it and after it and after it. We will repeat this a million times, if necessary, until victory is ours!"

His words might seem like the ramblings of a lunatic beast, but it was far more than that.

Walter cocked his Schmeisser, ensured it was filled with bullets and charged out of the building.

"Sieg Heil!"

He let out a roar that threatened to rip his throat out.

Would he end up being gunned down like Joachim? Perhaps he would turn up to be like Marco. Those were real possibilities to be concerned.

"!"

Walter, led by his intuition hid to shelter.

His vision was blinded by an explosion so fierce it dwarfed all the previous bombardments, an explosion that seemed to rip apart the very heavens.

Walter realized this was a weapon beyond anything he had seen before. This was not something made by human hands.

As the light faded…

Vision returned to Walter.

The city he had literally sworn to protect with his very life had turned to a charred wasteland.

The corpses of his comrades, and the presence of enemy troops in the city had all been annihilated.

The scenario was too unbelievable that Walter took time to process this information.

"Ughh!"

Walter's back and flank had been pierced by pieces of metal and concrete. The hand that held a Schmeisser was blown off from the elbow. There was no need to attempt and determine minor injuries suffered by Walter.

His bloody vomit also told him that he suffered internal damage as well as external ones.

He wouldn't make it.

"FUCK! FUCK!"

Walter cursed blindly without caring about the target of his indignation.

As he cursed madly, a voice rang out.

 _Hear my prayer, O' Lord. To You All Flesh Shall Come. Return onto thy rest, O my soul. For the Lord hath dealt beautifully with thee._

It was a requiem offered to the fallen soldiers.

One sung in a beautiful voice.

Not even a prestigious church choir could produce such melody. Yet at the same time, scorn seeped into the voice. It was all too evident.

It sung of the dead with scorn, malice, ridicule and mockery, deriving the outmost pleasure with trampling upon the last remnants of dignity they possess.

 _Grant them eternal rest, O' Lord and may everlasting light shine on them._

Alas, the destroyer appeared.

It was a young boy, lacking in years compared to Marco with a face so delicate that a careless glance could mistake him for a girl.

A single look was enough to give Walter the shiver.

Although he had lost a considerable amount of blood, the cause of his freezing chill lay elsewhere.

The sheer enmity and bane radiating from that boy contributed to the freezing chill at Walter's back.

Still, the most fearsome thing was that Walter knew that face.

There lived no one in the Eastern front that knew not of that face.

A beast possessed by an insatiable hunger for life, his aberrant mind ruled by inhuman madness.

He gripped a pair of guns, each engraved with a Wolfsangel – the rune of the Wolf.

It was the face of a boy who should've died three years ago in a purge.

"Major…Schreiber."

Eastern Front Assault Corps Special Unit Leader - SS Major Wolfgang Schreiber. An unchained beast that should not be present here.

But how…

"Ah…if it's not Sergeant Walter Gerlitz. I sure caused trouble for you and your comrades. You doing well?"

Hardly words to be offered to a dying comrade, especially one whose death was likely caused by Schreiber. The boy flashing a devilish smile was no doubt the same Wolfgang Schreiber he knew years ago.

"Why…are…you…here?"

"Hahaha! Do I need a reason? I'm a soldier too! War is what we do, murder is the currency we live on!"

The boy playfully surveyed the landscape – it was enough proof of his statement. And what followed was nothing short of unnatural.

Something akin to opaque vapor erupted in the vicinity. Like a fog, or a haze.

At the same time, dreadful moans assaulted Walter's senses.

These were cursed cries of vengeful spirits and souls of fallen soldiers fated to suffer and lament until the end of times.

This endless chorus of lamentation caused even the air in the battlefield to cool down.

Walter felt he could make out the faces of Joachim and Marco among the swirling mass, as well as the destination towards which they were spiraling.

Straight into Schreiber's Totenkopf's eyepatch.

Not even youkai and lunarians would dare consume vengeful spirits, yet this boy had done it in such a casual manner. Perhaps, the Saigyou Ayakashi itself would meet its own demise from the overload of spirits if it consumed the same amount Schreiber had.

Confronted with such otherworldly spectacle, Walter could not decide whether he should give himself over to rage or simply weep.

"Well then, my dear Sergeant. I am done with my meal, so time for me to take my leave. How about you?"

Walter was breathing his last. He was in no condition to spill blood like soldiers should do.

"Do you not hunger for me?" asked Schreiber.

"Well…killing a hundred or two hundred more Reds would not change anything at this stage. But look around you. Is this the Berlin you swore to protect? Are you really content with this? Is this the so-called glorious Reich that should have survived for a thousand years?"

Walter threw a piercing glance. Indeed, no one would be content with such an outcome.

He'd had friends to call his own. A family to go home to. A woman to love. He'd cherished this country.

All that met its end due to Germany's defeat. It was a dishonor no centuries could clean.

"Unforgivable, right? Those repugnant lowly Slavs are desecrating our homes, pillaging our riches, raping our women and children…hanged our elders! My dear Sergeant, Walter Gerlitz, sworn and loyal blade of the Wehrmacht. What do you desire?"

"Ag…agh…"

The amount of blood flowing out of the man's mouth made speech difficult, but that was not going to stop him.

The boy standing in front of him was unmistakably a demon. But that mattered little at this point.

"I desire victory! Ein volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer!"

He wished to fight for his family and friends.

To bring victory, peace and glory to the Great German Reich.

To bring prosperity to generations yet unborn.

Above all else, for his soul to rest peacefully.

"Sieg Heil! That's right, Sergeant! You made the right choice. You deserve the honor to be His flesh and blood! This war will never end. We will not allow it. We will continue to repeat this war until we get the outcome we desire."

Schreiber turned his Mauser at Walter's direction as the last light of the latter's soul began to fade.

 _Grant them eternal rest, O' Lord and may everlasting light shine on them._

The requiem was filled with scorn and malice for the fallen, yet Walter thought it to be like the song of the angels.

It was then that he realized this would be the apocalypse.

He would be one of the many that would join His legion and fight endlessly to victory.

He would soon join many others to march and destroy the world.

As Walter's soul was sucked into Wolfgang Schreiber.

At the same time…

Up in the Berlin sky, tainted by blood and fire.

Taking the form through the carnage of the capital…was a large swastika.

A man stood atop the towering spike atop its center.

The voice of a woman rang throughout the city.

"Listen, people of Berlin! Our great Lord, the Monarch of Destruction graces you with his message! Listen to his exalted words in silence!"

At that moment, all elders ceased their flight, all children stopped crying and all soldiers, regardless of friends or foes ceased fire.

Each and every single soul gazed up to the sky as if possessed.

On the very day the Reich fell, a devil of blinding light descended from the heavens.

He looked like a floating mane, golden in color. His regal gaze equally golden.

It was golden in nature, surpassing creation itself – a majestic beauty mixed with a beastly hue.

A being that shouldn't exist in the realm of man.

At his side, a man with feature dark and twisting as the darkest of shadows.

He was garbed in the plain garbs of a hermit, with ambiguous features that made it impossible to determine his age.

A Yin to his Yang. The two existed at a level beyond anyone's comprehension. They were monsters feared by monsters themselves.

Number I and XIII of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden's Obsidian Round Table.

The Supreme Leader and the Vice Commander of the Table.

"Brothers and Sisters!"

Gazing down at Berlin – no, the entire world – he began his speech.

 _What if I told you that everything is decided by fate?_

 _That victors were born for glory; the defeated live to serve? You live your live as it has been decided in advanced, always reaching the same finale, unable to diverge, no matter what happens. What if I told you everything was made from such cruel fabric?_

 _If such is the case, then hard work means no different from sloth. Dreams and prayers both equally lacking in value. What if I told you that the divine graces, as well as the wrath of the heavens were carved into stones eons before?_

 _All of you, who were labeled as the Devil's offspring, born only to be destroyed, downtrodden, violated and annihilated even without sins…simply because it was decided since time immemorial. Nothing more and nothing less._

 _Such is the law of the detestable cycle – this wicked law._

 _Death brings no release, only another cycle of suffering, failure, pain and defeat. There is no nirvana._

 _And so you will find nothing but eternal suffering and defeat because you were born of shouldering that fate, no more and no less. Do you not find this outcome infuriating?_

 _Do you not wish to turn the tables?_

 _Nothing awaits you but eternal grim and suffering._

The Golden Monarch's grim words reached to every single soul in Berlin.

His voice possessed a magical quality, capable of penetrating the hearts of his listeners; the best comparison was to the cries of the ancient gods of the past.

A juggernaut of a voice that could ensnare all of creation.

And the being that possessed the voice was certainly no mortal.

 _If you agree…then fight._

 _If you wish to rid your miserable lot in life, then offer your very soul._

 _If you wish to wash away the stigma of the defeated…ride to battle at my side._

 _Take the pen and sign the pact with blood._

 _If such is your desire…then enlist in my Legion._

The moment those ponderous words ended, the unthinkable happened.

All men with guns shot themselves.

All men with knives thrusted the knives deep into their bodies.

Those without armaments threw themselves into the inferno surrounding the city.

Hundreds of thousands of men had offered themselves as sacrifices for the Golden Monarch.

And…

"GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGHHH!"

Usami Sumireko's body jerked with her two arms on her stomach. Her hands were in an odd fashion, as if she was trying to stab herself with a knife.

Her face was covered in sweat and her entire clothing was wet.

The unfortunate woman was surrounded by a few classmates and an elderly female.

"Oi, Usami! Are you okay?"

The panicked Usami immediately moved her body, but she felt extremely weak as if she had just returned from a battlefield. Not even danmaku battles felt this tiring to herself.

She inhaled some air and exhaled slowly.

"Where am I?"

The elderly woman spoke.

"The school infirmary. I called your name several times as you were sleeping in my class…but you weren't responding. Besides, your entire body was hotter than normal – your body temperature was 39.5 degrees Celsius."

Usami touched her forehead and looked at the elderly woman. It was still rather hot. Usami thought she could boil an egg using her forehead alone.

"…"

"Anyway, you shouldn't force yourself to school if you're terribly ill. I've called your parents, they're going to pick you up later. You should rest at home."

As a gesture of respect, she bowed slightly and thanked her teacher.

(What the hell…was with that weird dream?)

 **Author's Note: Thanks. As usual, leave your comments. The Tanya x Dies Irae story...still thinking about some things.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Dies Irae is Masada's, Touhou is ZUN's. I own nothing except my OCs. Hope you'll enjoy my story.**

 **Chapter 1**

Wolfgang Schreiber – 0 search results.

Usami Sumireko stared at the screen of her tablet. Beside her tablet was a piece of paper filled with a name.

Wolfgang Schreiber.

Woffgeng Shraiba.

Wollgaang Schraibar.

Monarch of Destruction.

Siege of Berlin.

1945.

What Happened During the Siege of Berlin.

Necromancer in Nazi Germany.

Occultism in Nazi Germany.

Youkai Eating Soul in Nazi Germany.

Only God knew how much Usami spent on searching those things. Unfortunately, the information she received from Google was either insufficient or unsatisfactory.

"Tch, not again. Come on, there must be something going on in 1945 during the Fall of Berlin!"

All she found were documentaries about Hitler's suicide, the Soviets swarming Berlin and raising the Soviet flag on the Reichstag and documentaries about World War 2.

There were also old films related to the war from Die Deutsche Woschenchau and right-wing leaning websites, but nothing of notable information that could describe her dream.

"Why can't I find anything? You could find more information about the Lunar Capital than World War 2 when those lunarians are hiding themselves and World War 2 was one of the most brutal events that happened on Earth!"

Usami Sumireko could not hide her frustration.

She opened and searched for information in any potential page, be it academic or pages filled with conspiracy theories. Still, she could not find anything but unnecessary stuff such as the Rothschild-Rockefeller conspiracy, the Apollo-Chang'e Project and space agencies hiding the true nature of the Lunar Capital.

(Calm down. Calm down. It may be a dream, but it doesn't have to be true.)

Still, there was no way she would reject her dream.

Not when weird things happened, starting from a mere 'dream' that led to her battles and endless nightmares.

Therefore, she has decided that the dream contained something valuable and she was to investigate everything.

"I see…then, there's no other option. Since it is mostly about the European theatre of World War 2, looking for reading materials would be tough. I need to resort to English books, then."

Usami Sumireko typed something on her tablet. The psychic planned to look for occult books that specifically wrote about occultism in Germany during the Nazi period.

She had downloaded and read a few books about the war from the Germans' perspective such as Von Manstein's Lost Victories - only to find nothing but criticism on Hitler's blunders.

For that, she needed to locate bookstores that specialize in occultism – in spots like Akihabara or Harajuku rather than dull places such as Chiyoda.

"Goddammit! What should I do?"

Usami Sumireko looked at the clock. It was 2 AM in the morning.

"I should be sleeping now…I still have to attend school tomorrow. I'm not Reimu…"

Usami Sumireko lazily rested her back on the wooden chair and closed her eyes.

(Wait…Reimu…)

Yes. She remembered something important – she was a psychic. She could enter Gensokyou unlike your typical average human.

Thus, to find information about the occult, the best way was to ask those who were routinely involved in the supernatural. If she was lucky, she might even be able to lobby Yakumo to help her in her quest.

(Why did I not remember about them in the first place?)

* * *

Hakurei Reimu and Kirisame Marisa.

The two incident resolvers of Gensokyou sat under the shade of the shrine as the bright sun started to illuminate the ground.

"When things are peaceful, it could be dull," Hakurei mumbled.

Kirisame Marisa nodded in agreement as she reached for a biscuit in a small plate prepared by Hakurei Reimu.

"Even so, it'd be fun if an incident pops up. At least there's something I can do to kill this seemingly eternal boredom of mine."

Hakurei rolled her eyes upon listening to Kirisame's statement.

As the two women were enjoying their simple relaxation, another voice could be heard.

"Oh, good morning!"

It was the green-haired shrine maiden.

"Oh, its you," Hakurei replied lazily.

"What a good day it is! Don't you think so?"

Kochiya Sanae greeted the two women. She seemed free, since she would be working at her shrine if she had other things to complete.

"Seems like you're quite free as well," Kirisame replied. "Well…isn't that good? There's nothing wrong with relaxing once in a while."

Kochiya chuckled and nodded.

"Ah, Kanako-sama said the same thing earlier. She told me to enjoy myself today and not be too concerned with work. I guess even gods need rest."

Hakurei, who had not spoken anything, finally spoke.

"Oh, you're here. Well, you're not wrong there. Even gods need rest. Look at me, I'm always enjoying myself here and then."

Kirisame gave a friendly jab at Hakurei.

"Oi, you're giving the gods too much rest. Along with yourself."

"And there's nothing wrong with that," Hakurei replied. "Why should I work myself to death if I get no donation…ah, hold on. My donations have been minimal this month! How am I going to survive next month?"

Kirisame and Kochiya smiled awkwardly as they listened to Hakurei's concern.

"That's why you need to be more hardworking as a shrine maiden!" Kirisame replied. "Your job is to attract people to come to the shrine and they'll donate money to you!"

Hakurei seemed dissatisfied.

"Too lazy."

"This is why you always lack money. At least you should do some blessing work to the villagers, don't you think?" Kirisame replied.

"Ah…I'm too worn out to think about anything today, so don't bother me if you're not giving me money!"

Hakurei Reimu lazily waved her hand and reached the biscuit in her plate.

As she was about to bite the biscuit, a loud voice rang in the vicinity of the shrine.

"Thank goodness!"

The three women turned their gazes to the source of the sound.

It was Usami Sumireko.

"Yoo! Thank goodness all of you are there! I need some help –"

Hakurei crossed her hands in an X formation.

"Not today! Today is off-day! I shall not entertain any request! Not that I get anything out of it besides fatigue."

Usami Sumireko furrowed her eyebrows.

"You can't be serious…hey, Marisa, Sanae, she's not serious about this, right?"

Kochiya and Kirisame did not reply.

Usami Sumireko mumbled in dissatisfaction and took out something from her skirt pocket.

It was her purse. She diligently took out 10,000 yen and inserted them into the donation box.

Hakurei, who noticed the amount of money immediately stood and walked towards Usami Sumireko with a diligent face.

"How may I be of service?"

(She's acting weird…) Sumireko thought. (Or perhaps not.)

"Can you call Yukari to come here?" Usami asked. "I really need to ask her some questions."

Hakurei scratched her head upon hearing Usami's request.

"I'm not trying to refuse, but its not easy to call her. She'll be around when you don't want her, and she'll be gone when you need her. Why do you need her anyway?"

Usami Sumireko was startled by Hakurei's random question.

"Eh? Actually, I wanted to ask her about World War 2. Well, it's a war that happened in the Outside World, so I don't expect you to know much about it, Reimu…"

This time, Kochiya Sanae interrupted.

"Eh? What about World War 2?"

"Do you know about the details of World War 2…I mean, the personal anecdotes of soldiers that fought, not academic explanation as to what happened."

Before Usami could finish her question, Kochiya interrupted.

"My grandfather served on a Kongou-class battleship as a Lieutenant Commander, so I knew some stuff about the Pacific War. He loved telling stories about the Pacific War since he fought at Midway under Admiral Yamamoto to the extent that Kanako-sama and Suwako-sama had to shut him up of his war romanticism and his self-depreciation after Japan surrendered."

Usami Sumireko remembered. Kochiya Sanae was from the Outside World like herself. She would understand the issue better than a pure Gensokyou resident such as Hakurei Reimu or Kirisame Marisa.

However, Usami felt that she had to silence Kochiya Sanae before the latter began explaining her grandfather's story any further.

(For goddesses that thrive in wars to silence him up…he must have been a true warrior of Valhalla) Usami thought. (Or a crazy fanatic. Perhaps a war criminal. Oh well, I better not say anything.)

"I see. But, no, I'm not asking about the Pacific War. I need information about the European theatre."

Kochiya paused.

The European front. The theatre that witnessed the Holocaust and end of European hegemony.

Asking about the European theater of war was a completely different thing compared to the Pacific theatre. For Japan that was primarily engaged with the United States, they weren't focused on studying the European part of war in detail.

Certainly, that was not something you could hear from Japanese veterans that served in the war.

"Anyway, I can always ask those idiots at Yasukuni shrine if I wanted to dig some stories about the Pacific. But the European war front is the one I'm investigating. Specifically, the incident happening during the Fall of Berlin. Anything like an occult army of sorts."

"The occult during the Fall of Berlin? Aren't the Reds communists?" Kochiya replied. "Its unlikely that they'd have any occult movements there. Besides, won't Stalin purge anyone that threatened his position at that time?"

Usami Sumireko thought about her dream.

The man called Wolfgang Schreiber, Sergeant Walter and the Monarch of Destruction all wore military uniforms recognizable as those from the Schutzstaffel.

Usami Sumireko had to search for Wehrmacht and SS uniforms to confirm her suspicions before she came to that conclusion.

"No, no. I mean…from the German side. Don't they have any occult movements managed under the Nazi government?"

Kochiya Sanae gave some thought. She knew nothing about any occult movement in the German military.

"You know, perhaps necromancy or Yuyuko-style soul manipulation magic?"

(I must've spoken like a fool.)

Kochiya touched her chin as she thought for a while.

"Man, necromancy is not an easy field of magic. Not many mastered that field…I mean, you get hunted by kishin if you mistakenly used necromancy," Kirisame replied.

Even so, Usami could not forget that moment. Despite it being a dream, it felt too real. She felt as if she was observing the very moment of Berlin's fall – and the rise of an unknown occult group that were masters of soul manipulation and necromancy.

"Besides, having soul manipulation at Yuyuko's level isn't easy for magicians – you'd need years of training to reach her level. Doubt that ordinary humans could accomplish such feats by themselves," Kirisame continued.

Kochiya finally spoke.

"I've never came across anything like that. People only talk about the Nazi's high tech relative to the Allied Forces."

A hint of disappointment could be seen from Usami's face.

Kirisame Marisa and Hakurei Reimu, who were left out of the conversation merely stared at the two Outsiders as they discussed historical events that never happened in Gensokyou.

Usami Sumireko exhaled fresh air.

"Is that so…"

She sounded disappointed. She thought having someone more knowledgeable such as Yakumo might be able to help her dig out the mystery of her dreams better.

"The Nazi government killed Freemasons and occultists, don't they?" Kochiya replied. "They're the complete opposite of magicians. They're mostly driven by racial eugenics…"

"Ah…the stupid racial purity thing again," Usami mumbled.

Not that she was in any position to criticize Nazi Germany's policies. Imperial Japan's policies were no different – they were killing Chinese in the name of the Divine Right to rule.

(Then…how I do look for information about World War 2? Who do I turn to? Dammit, this is tough.)

"Hello, hello!" Hakurei interrupted.

Hakurei Reimu finally spoke after listening to the long-winded discussion between Kochiya and Usami. "I need an explanation about what you guys are discussing about."

Usami and Kochiya looked at each other and sighed.

"Basically, some time ago, the world got into 2 wars – World War 1 and World War 2. The wars were so massive that many people were killed. Japan was involved and we lost the war," Usami explained.

Hakurei simply nodded while Kirisame seemed interested.

"So, you're saying that the whole Outside World just got mad and decided to kill each other for no reason?" Hakurei spoke disinterestedly. "Wow, the Outsiders can be stupid as well. Well, I guess without youkai to worry about, you guys can kill each other without having to worry about being eaten."

"Ah…" Usami and Kochiya replied. They knew that it was not as simple as Hakurei made it seem to be.

"So, is this Germany the bad guy? The instigator of the war?"

Technically, Hakurei Reimu was not wrong. Germany, under the rule of Adolf Hitler had caused the beginning of a conflict of a massive scale. Yet, it was too simplistic to pin every cause on Germany.

Besides, conflicts at such level were caused by complex and often entangled reasons.

For example, why had Britain and France forsaken the Czech but came into the aid of the Poles by declaring war on Germany? The strategy of appeasement and war was not as simple as amateurs had imagined.

Still, explaining everything to Hakurei would only confuse her further. Therefore, they decided to nod and use simple terms to explain about the war to Hakurei.

"Ah…how idiotic," Hakurei thought.

"Sounds pathetic," Kirisame replied. "But still a better war story than the Lunar-Genso war."

"But," Kochiya interrupted. "Don't you have school today?"

Usami smiled and gave out a fake laughter.

"Ah, about that…don't worry about it. I'm down with a fever, so I'm not going to school today."

Kochiya nodded. As she was about to say something in the lines of 'you should take care of your health' – a surge of unexpected memories returned to her mind.

"Aha!" the greenhead shouted. It seemed almost as if she was Archimedes and had just solved a major mystery.

"What's with you?" Hakurei mumbled. "Have you gone nuts?"

"You should look up about astrology." Kochiya spoke. "I remembered an astrologer being employed by the Nazis."

"An astrologer?" Usami thought.

The psychic never knew about astrology being practiced in Nazi Germany.

"If my memory served me well, there was an astrologer that predicted Hitler's assassination in 1939. I think he was later taken by…Gestapo and ended up working to help with the Reich's propaganda."

"An astrologer that helped in propaganda? That sounds…interesting and weird," Usami thought. "Do you perhaps…"

"Yes, I remember it!" Kochiya interrupted. "His name is Karl Ernst Krafft. Rumor has it that he's a Kabbalist too. When I was preparing my Spell Card, I looked into some details on Kabbalah and learned about him."

(Karl…Ernst Krafft?)

Usami Sumireko felt the need to write down that name. It might serve a purpose in her search to decode the mystery of her dream.

At last, Usami's visit to Gensokyou gave an important clue in her mission to decrypt her weird dream.

Usami Sumireko walked towards the donation box and inverted the box. The 10,000 yen note she inserted in the box dropped out and fell onto the ground.

Without hesitation, Usami picked it up and inserted her valuable money back into her purse.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Hakurei shouted.

"Taking back my valuable money. Getting my refund for a nonexistent service. It's a practice in the Outside World. Right, Sanae?"

"Damn you!" Hakurei shouted. "This shrine doesn't have any refund policy! Give me back my money!"

Usami narrowed her eyebrows.

"Not happening!"

And thus, a spell card battle began.

* * *

Yakumo Yukari.

The youkai of boundaries stood still in front of a tree.

Her somber expression seemed as if she was trying to pay homage to something, or someone. This was an unseen facet of Yakumo that few knew. Perhaps, not even her shikigami were aware of it.

The proof of that was clear as the youkai stood alone without any familiar of hers.

Beside the youkai was a gardener that served the princess of the Netherworld, Saigyouji Yuyuko.

The youkai stood and closed her eyes, as if she was praying to something.

After a minute or two, the youkai opened her eyes. She turned her gaze to the gardener that stood beside her.

The gardener did not know why the youkai visited the tree known as the Saigyou Ayakashi. She knew the tree was dangerous and that her master was involved in the sealing of the tree.

But, was there any significance as to why Yakumo emphasized great importance to that tree?

"This tree contains a lot of valuable memories. It is not just the soul that it consumes – it consumes emotions and memories too."

Konpaku could not reply to Yakumo's words. To the gardener, it felt as if the youkai was talking to herself.

"Don't you want to know, Youmu?"

As the youkai spoke, she touched the trunk of the large tree using her right hand.

The gardener wasn't exactly a satori thus she could not predict what Yakumo was implying. Yet, as a sign of respect to her master's friend, she remained silent.

"About the history of this legendary tree? Truly, this is the tree that holds the foundation of the Netherworld."

"The foundation…of the Netherworld?"

Yakumo nodded slightly. Her lips curved up slightly. She gave an aura of melancholy as she spoke to the gardener.

"This tree became the witness of my first encounter with Yuyuko."

(Ah…) Konpaku thought. (This must have been a place with nostalgic values to her. And Yuyuko-sama, of course.)

"Well, well. Your master may have forgotten, but I vividly remember my first encounter with her. It was as if I met her yesterday."

Just what was the history between Yakumo Yukari and Saigyouji Yuyuko? Konpaku Youmu was curious, but she could not bring herself to ask that simple question.

Yakumo smiled gracefully and spoke as if she read the gardener's mind.

"Of course. There is no harm in telling you – or so he would say."

Konpaku seemed confused.

"He?" the gardener asked.

"Yes. A divinely talented poet, I would say. His words could attract anyone."

Without any interference, Yakumo continued her idle thought.

"This tree bore witness to the certain poet's death – and it led to events happening today."

"A certain…poet?" Konpaku asked. Yakumo nodded as she saw the gardener's reaction.

"Oh yes. A human poet. You do know that a poet died here, right?"

Konpaku knew. That was the turning point. As the poet died under the tree, the tree tasted the life of humans and since then, started to become a youkai tree.

"But, do you know about the poet that died under the tree?"

"!"

Yakumo gave a kind smile as she spoke.

"Do you know about the poet, Yukari-sama?"

The youkai of boundaries nodded.

"He called himself Suigin, the Mercury. At first, I yearned to devour him," Yakumo spoke in honesty. "He lacked the characteristic of a living human. He looked dead. His face was pale, faint and lacked vitality. He seemed like a living Buddha who completely rid himself of any desire – only seeking for eternal end."

Konpaku listened carefully to the youkai's words.

"But something stopped me from eating him. Do you know what it was?"

The gardener shook her head.

Yakumo smiled gently and spoke only two words.

 _Your master._

"Yuyuko-sama?"

Yakumo chuckled.

"Yes. But not directly. The poet said this: Ah, youkai. I fear not you, but I seek not to be eaten or killed by something lower than my Goddess of Death!"

Konpaku was amazed by such courage.

"Hahaha!" the youkai laughed. "He was no joke, though. My attacks meant nothing to him. It simply passed through his body, as if he was using a default Fantasy Nature spell card throughout his existence. There was nothing I could do. As if he was made of complete nothingness."

(What a weird existence) Konpaku thought.

"With that said, he did not counter my attacks to my surprise. He simply smiled – it was a smile of sorrow, as if he was looking at me with pity. His smile was different from the reactions of the arrogant Lunarians, he lacked their arrogance. Although, I wonder how they would've cope with his presence during the war."

Yakumo lowered her head.

"Then, your master came to his rescue. Although, I doubt he needs any rescuing."

Konpaku felt warmth as she heard the story of that youkai.

It was a feeling rarely conveyed by a youkai of her level.

(Then…)

Konpaku realized something.

Yakumo Yukari, her master and the poet Suigin must have been exceptionally close for that youkai to be recalling her memories in such a nostalgic manner.

"Why…"

The youkai mumbled something that the gardener could not understand.

"Why did you forsake us, you useless poet?!"

Konpaku thought she had seen something impossible.

"If you hadn't decided to die under that tree, she wouldn't have to go through all those suffering. Did you not promise to protect her, you damned poet?!"

Yakumo's eyes were no longer normal eyes. They were a pool of water. Misty eyes that were barely containing the overloading drops of tears.

"Why did you have to die, Suigin? Someone like you, who was unmistakably a master of the hermit arts – why would you give your life just like that? Because of you…"

Yakumo fell onto her knees.

"Because of you…she had to…she had to…I almost lost her because of you. If you had not chosen death and be with her any time longer, she wouldn't had to sacrifice herself to seal this cursed tree that was caused by your death!"

Konpaku Youmu was shocked by the sight before her eyes.

Never would she imagine the calculating youkai that upheld Gensokyou's laws to have such a soft spot for her master.

"I barely managed to create a spell that would seal this tree using her body, so that her soul would be around here. But how long could it last? It couldn't and wouldn't last forever, right? Even if I can control boundaries…there are certain concepts that are beyond my control, beyond my comprehension."

And Yakumo wept. And she wept. And she wept to her heart's content. As if complaining to God.

* * *

"Truly, truly, my dear friend and creation, Yakumo Yukari."

A sole man that sat on a throne spoke. He was a man with feminine looks. He had a kind, but scornful smile on his face. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to claim that he was the culmination of paradoxes being concentrated in a single man.

His surrounding could not be described with mere words, for it was somewhere not bound by space and time.

He was surrounded by bright lights that seemed like stars, but they were not stars. For he was not inside any universe. He was not bound by any dimension or concept. He was an existence that even Hourai immortals, Lunarians and the proud gods could never become.

"I have never forsaken my Goddess. Even if she's unable to remember me, I am still bound by my eternal vow to her. That I would love her forever. That I would look after her, cherish her existence and protect her with all my power."

In that sole place that no other existence could reach, the man made a declaration.

"For that sole reason, I will continue with my Grand Guignol. While that happens, I hope you shall be loyal to the Goddess, my dear friend, Yakumo Yukari."

* * *

Mount Fuji, Akigahara – Sea of Trees.

The entire area was set ablaze by crimson flames.

A torrent of sheer energy had emerged from a nearby cave, mowing down trees and setting them ablaze.

This place was a crevice in the fabric of space; a meeting point for the ley lines which spread across the Earth like a web.

A lone man emerged from the cave.

He wore a rosary and a cassock, signaling his status as a holy member of the cloth. Truly, the soft, kind smile was what one would expect from the servant of God.

Yet, could someone who emerged from such an inferno truly be treated as a servant of the divine?

And…

Kneeling before him was a woman with black hair.

Her skin color and features would indicate her as a native Japanese.

She spoke reverently, her face as expressionless as that of a statue.

"Pardon me, Valeria Trifa, Your Eminence the Divine Vessel and substitute to the Lord Commander Himself. I summoned you here out of my own volition. Do you need an introduction?"

"It is not necessary," the man replied. "I remembered you, Leonhart. You were a child when you took over Lady Kircheisen's place, but I see that you've grown to be beautiful and strong."

"I am unworthy of such praises."

As the two spoke, unpleasant moans could be heard around them.

They were likely the souls of those who took their lives in that inferno. The young woman took no heed as they continued to make their presence known; the priest, however, inhaled them all with affection effectively making them his.

A blasphemous scene, one that would enrage the Yamaxanadu.

It was identical to the events in Berlin in World War 2. Was this perhaps the continuation of that day?

Excuses were unnecessary for they were of secondary importance.

"Well then, shall we continue our holy crusade?"

That one crucial thing, and that alone. That they were preparing to unveil the world the supreme performance they have spent preparing for years.

Now then…

May the curtains of Grand Guignol rise.

Slaughter, butcher, massacre till none is left.

Violate, conquer and consecrate.

Let there be victory.

Let there be conquest.

For it was –

"It is the will of God," the woman replied. "My honor is loyalty."

And thus, the Legion that swore to destroy the known world began to move.

Unbeknownst to any.

* * *

"Tch, we were too late."

In that place that was once an inferno of hell, two silhouettes could be seen.

One of them belonged to a woman. Her silver colored hair reached her waist, while her clothing resembled that of a corporate worker.

Standing beside her was a male with beastly look. His right eye was scarred, and he wore a long coat and black pants. Underneath his coat was a red shirt.

"Longinus Dreizhen Orden. They have finally moved once again," the woman spoke in a professional manner. "Looks like there'll be a lot of problem if they continue with their actions."

"And how would a lunarian like yourself be affected by Earth's problems?" asked the man.

He then took out a cigarette and calmly ignited it using his finger.

"An idiotic brawny Hellion such as yourself may not understand, but this is a crisis that threatens all of existence. The Longinus Dreizhen Orden is a threat even to the Lunar Capital. The magic they use, Die Ewigkeit – is truly fearsome. It even interfered with the very fabric of existence. Isn't that why Hell had to send its best kishin to hunt for these scums?"

The man nodded.

"A death-fearing bitch like you may not understand, but these bastards are messing with souls and the very nature of reincarnation. We can't let them roam freely. Especially that rotten steel hearted commander of theirs."

And the woman and the man spoke the name in unison.

Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich.

Thus, the two agents from two different worlds began moving.

 **Author's Note: Time for the curtains of Grand Guignol to rise! Leave your comments here. And perhaps your vision or suggestion about this crossover.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: As usual, Dies Irae is Masada's and Touhou is Zun's. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2**

It was the worst day for Usami Sumireko.

She did not desire school but she would be terrorized by her parents if she skipped school too frequently. Her fever has subsided and now she would have to catch up on classes she had missed for a few days.

"Even though I'm still sleepy."

Usami fought off a yawn and walked towards school. It took ten minutes from her house to school.

As she entered a park, she saw typical sights in everyday Japan: housewives and elders strolling around the park leisurely while the salarymen sat on benches and settled their businesses before work.

(I'm not going to end up a salaryman.)

Even though it was a busy morning, the park was quiet. It could perfectly be described as a place to relax.

Usami saw an empty bench and decided to sit down. She took out a melon pan from her bag and carefully opened the plastic covering it.

The park was the best place to eat while enjoying the serene calmness of morning. It was nothing compared to Gensokyou's beauty, but it was certainly a relaxing place following the modern standard.

After finishing her melon pan, Usami gazed listlessly up at the sky.

Somehow, the sky in this world always appeared drab regardless of the season. Usami's house was only a few stations away from the park, but she felt like entering another world whenever she left her house. She felt odd, as if this was something out of place.

Even so, she appreciated this world. Even if it was a dull world, it was a world where humans thrived.

Usami then checked the time on her phone.

(Oh. If I don't go now, it's going to be troublesome!)

Usami was a student that stood out for her laziness and intellect. She did not want to attract further unnecessary attention.

A few minutes later, Usami arrived at the gate of her high school. Higashifukami High School.

It was quite near to a Family Mart convenience store thus she could see students buying some cheap bento for 500 yen from the mart before entering school.

Although Usami hated school, she thought that this school wasn't the worst compared to her middle school. She had some freedom to do things she liked, such as establishing the Secret Sealing Club.

As she entered the school gate, she hoped that no one would talk to her.

(Please don't greet me. Please don't greet me.)

Usami finally reached her classroom and quickly settled down. She felt that a few people tossed her a look. But, it was temporary as they returned to their own businesses afterwards.

Usami knew that deep in other people's hearts, she was seen as a weirdo. Not that she cared. For Usami Sumireko had other concerns to think about.

(Karl…Ernst Krafft.)

That name revealed to her by Kochiya was surprisingly a revelation to that woman.

Even so, she thought again and took out her mobile phone. Class has not started, so it was fine to check the phone for a while.

(I tried googling that name yesterday, but nothing much came out of that name.)

Usami tried to read through some articles she bookmarked in her phone.

Karl Ernst Krafft.

An astrologist, even claimed to be one of the finest in the 20th century was hired by the Nazis for propaganda purposes. He survived for a while, despite the Nazis wiping Freemasons and occultists and considered them as degenerates unworthy of living in the Reich.

Born in Basel, he predicted the Second World War by observing the patterns of Pluto based on Nostradamus' excerpts. More impressively, he predicted an assassination attempt on Hitler's life between the 7th and 10th of November in 1939.

A bomb was detonated on the 8th, almost killing the Fuhrer of the German Reich.

(He must be an excellent astrologer or a lucky bastard!) Usami thought.

Despite that, there wasn't much information she could dig. She knew that the astrologer was detained by the Gestapo and brought to work as part of the Reich propaganda division.

"Yo, otaku! You came back to school!"

Usami felt a friendly smack on her back. It startled her and caused her to raise her head.

"You're better now? My, you looked as if you're going to die when you fell ill, y'know?"

"Shirou-kun…"

Usami's classmate, Shirou Yusa gave the high schooler a grin. He was considered someone well-known in the school for his macho-like voice. He seemed like your typical delinquent who'd happily get into trouble for the sake of increasing the production of his adrenaline.

"What are you up to?" Shirou asked. "You seemed as if you're still sick. Come on now, you're a strong girl. Don't let that disease control you!"

"Not really…"

Even so, Usami did not feel uncomfortable around that guy. He was among the few people in the Outside World Usami could talk to freely.

Their hobbies and personalities are completely different, but they could hang around and spend some time without worrying about the society.

As far as Usami remembered, that man was an adrenaline seeker. He was considered a delinquent. Yet, whenever anyone asked him his reasons, he would simply repeat the mantra: I seek the unknown.

Still, how different was Usami from that boy? She too, sought the unknown like him.

"Well, you really need to cheer up! I know life sucks, but that's how it goes! Deal with it."

Usami laughed.

"Well, I was expecting better encouragement from you but looks like you really suck at it."

"Heh, dream on, four eyes!"

Shirou's eyes glanced on Usami's phone. Usami felt odd and pulled her chair away from her table to create distance between herself and the guy. She could not let him know about her secret research.

"Heh, keeping secrets from me! This is odd. Well, I guess there are women problems I shouldn't peek at," Shirou spoke.

Usami sighed. She was grateful for the guy's understanding words.

"So, were you reading about the Mount Fuji Incident?"

Usami Sumireko's eyes widened. She was lost on track as she was too concentrated on finding information about Karl Krafft that she missed out the latest news.

"Well, news suggests that the incident was a major accident that burned the entire area. But when you think about it, this incident makes no sense whatsoever."

Usami nodded lazily. She was in no position to comment on the topic as she knew about it.

"Can you imagine this: more than a hundred thousand people apparently got caught in a fire and did nothing about it. Even police officers, the JSDF and firefighters were caught in this unnatural fire. I heard the Yamaguchi-gumi lost a lot of men from that fire, their power basically waned in a day. Man…"

"Was the fire really that terrible?" Usami asked.

"Haven't you seen the video?" the man replied. "It was bad, but nothing firefighters couldn't handle. In fact, the released video raised criticism from other firemen about the local firemen's inability to handle it."

"They must've sucked really bad. We need to improvise out emergency aid training then."

But Shirou replied with a simple question.

Is this really an accident?"

(What the hell?) Usami thought.

"What if there was something going on and they're masking it as an accident? I mean, we can handle the Kanto earthquake. This fire shouldn't be a problem to authorities, right? Still…"

(Ahh…)

Usami realized something. He was right.

It was impossible for this incident to be a mere accident. Even for a dumb person, the thought of such large number of people being killed in a fire and with no one taking any action was a thought reserved for fantasy stories.

Even calling it fantasy would be pure stupidity. No resident of Gensokyou would let such a major incident happen easily. Even Hakurei would have moved to investigate and apprehend the culprit quickly.

"This is just my thinking but it's impossible for this to be a mere accident. There has to be something major going on. Don't you think so?"

Usami gave some serious thought about the incident.

"Oh shit. Homeroom's starting soon! See ya later!" Shirou replied as he hastily returned to his seat.

* * *

 _The Government of Japan is truly ashamed that this incident happened._

 _This is an incident of unprecedented circumstances. We are investigating this as we speak._

 _I ensure all of you that we will investigate this swiftly and apprehend anyone responsible, if any. Current information suggests that this is an accident. We did not foresee this to happen._

 _As such, it is my responsibility as the Prime Minister to resign from my position as I have failed to deliver my promise of protecting Japanese lives._

 _As of now, the Deputy Prime Minister will replace me as the new Prime Minister until the next election._

 _I apologize for the problems I've caused. I truly regret that this incident happened._

It was a live broadcasted press conference streamed in all channels.

As the Mount Fuji Incident caught international attention, this press conference was a global hit. Major news stations worldwide and online media content providers covered this issue at live times.

Even in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau, the press conference was televised for officers to watch.

"Politicians have it easy. I'm envious of them. I wish I could just say those insincere words and apologize to the public before resigning too."

A mature-looking but young woman sighed and turned her face away.

It was typical to expect such reaction from politicians who refuse to be responsible. Still, she believes these politicians were taking a quick way out from problems in the country.

"Huh. I swear that guy's going to hell after death," the brawny-looking man replied. His rough and scarred face gave him the look of a seasoned war veteran, while his body composition gave him a projection of strength despite being covered by corporate-style clothing.

"Well…that's pretty reassuring to hear, especially from someone like you."

The mature-looking woman then handed few pieces of paper at that man and the woman beside the brawny man.

To be honest, the woman disliked the presence of the other female beside that man. The odd female brought with her an aura of elitism, crude arrogance and disrespect. Besides, the odd female's beauty that could only be described as unearthly ignited the flame in the mature woman's heart.

Despite that, the woman handled her compatriots professionally as one would expect from a high-ranking officer in the police force.

"Superintendent Kirika, I don't pass judgement. I hunt for those who break the laws and punish them. Leave the judgement to the Yama," the male replied.

"Ah…well," the mature woman smiled politely. "Of course. We of the Special Investigations Unit do not do intelligence gathering on afterlife matters. Please forgive this woman for her silly mistakes."

The two ignored the police officers and instead looked at the papers given to them.

The police officer continued as they were looking at the papers.

"Your suspicion was accurate. The damned organization, Longinus Dreizhen Orden was the one behind the incident. Despite it being the most lethal organization in the world, there is lack of publicity among the public about it."

"Can't let people about it or it'll create unnecessary panic," the otherworldly woman replied. "That is basic public sentiment management."

The police officer nodded. If they revealed the organization behind the incident freely to the public, it would create unnecessary fear in the society. No society has ever witnessed terror at the scale of tens of thousands of people at once. Even radical terrorism, such as ISIS could not claim such number of casualties.

"So," the brawny man finally spoke, "any idea about their current whereabouts?"

The otherworldly woman nodded as if agreeing to the man's questions.

The police officer turned her laptop towards them.

"Overall, we could not exactly pinpoint their locations as they are scattered. Still, we found some suspects believed to be members of the LDO, if I may use that short form."

The other woman looked at the screen.

* * *

Usami Sumireko was not left out from the recent developments happening due to the Mount Fuji incident.

"This is quite a roller coaster ride," she muttered. The nation has frequently faced disasters such as the Fukushima incident. But the Mount Fuji incident was the most impactful of all incidents happening in Japan right now.

Usami even halted her search on the mysterious figure, Karl Ernst Krafft to learn about the new incident.

As it was break time, Usami took the opportunity to catch up with recent news. She lied on the floor of her school's flat roof alone. That was her favorite spot to unwind herself from the stress of living 'an ordinary life'.

"Mount Fuji Incident…was it?"

As Usami was about to drift into her thoughts, an unexpected voice interrupted her thoughts.

"So, what'cha thinking about?"

Usami turned around and replied lazily. Standing there was her classmate, Shirou Yusa. There were two people tagging along with the boy, a girl and a boy.

"Oh, Shirou. You brought others along?"

Usami recognized the girl.

Hinata Kazumi. The girl was a well-known upperclassman of hers who could be described as the perfect girl: stellar academic performance, a beauty, and athletic. The girl's only blind spot was her inexperience in love, if that could be considered a weakness.

However, Usami did not know that boy's name. She recognized that boy as a student in the same year as her as she frequently saw his face. He was a student in another class.

"Ah, Hinata-sempai is here. What an honor to be in the presence of such magnificent figure," Usami spoke snarkily.

In the presence of other people, Usami felt an overwhelming pressure to 'blend in society' as a 'normal girl'. For that 'abnormal psychic', there was no way she could accept such pressure.

"Come on, its not like you own the roof. This belongs to the school, y'know?" Shirou replied. "Besides, what's with that sarcastic remark of yours?"

Usami gave a short glare, as if suggesting that Shirou should know the answer better than anyone else.

The boy replied with a naughty grin.

"Heh," Usami replied. "Its not like you'd listen to me anyway."

Usami raised her palms and used them as pillows for her head. She did not have the energy to engage with 'normies', especially infamous 'normies'.

The infamous girl, Hinata Kazumi then spoke.

"Actually…Shirou told us about what you're doing."

(What?) Usami thought.

"Shirou…you…bas"

Usami was about to curse Shirou, but Hinata continued speaking.

"We think it's cool. Y'know…fantasy and stuff like that. Discovering things that we, humans have long abandoned in pursuit of science and technology."

Usami turned her face away to hide her embarrassed face from being seen.

The boy then asked a question.

"Is it true that you're the one posting about Gensokyou on the web?"

Usami thought for a few seconds and responded lazily.

"That's…cool! Can we go there as well? From the pictures you posted online, it feels like traveling back in time!" the boy continued.

"That's difficult," Usami replied. "You'd need some preparations to do that, unlike me."

Shirou Yusa then interrupted their casual chatter.

"It might not be. Well…speaking about extraordinary places, isn't there a power spot nearby?"

"A power spot?" Usami asked. "Since when are you into power spots, Shirou?"

Shirou replied with a naughty grin on his face.

"I seek adventure. I'm not picky about what kind of challenge I take, as long as I can break free from this sense of foreknowledge."

Usami snorted. Ever since she knew that boy, that was the only thing he'd talk about.

Déjà vu.

"Yes, yes, I get it. Anyway, where is this power spot you're talking about?"

The other boy took out his phone and walked towards Usami. Usami woke from her current position as she wanted to see better.

"That is…a church?"

* * *

"That is…a church?" the woman asked.

"Exactly, Miss Suhijini. It is a church. We suspect this man to be a member of the LDO."

The Police Superintendent Tachibana Kirika gave a mad smile.

"Huh, for a mad cult to be hiding behind churches, how hilarious. Well, at least they don't go and hide behind shrines. That'd be a trouble to me, y'know?" the other woman, Suhijini replied. "After all, my friends and acquaintances are enshrined there. It'd trouble if I go around and destroy shrines, no?"

The brawny man twitched his lips.

"As usual, you need to go around and talk about your little friends in a bragging manner. Fucked-up lunarian, when will you learn basic manners?"

He then folded his arms as if showing his displeasure towards Suhijini's attitude.

"How dare a disgusting Hellion try and teach me about manners! I don't want to hear you lecturing me when you Hellions have unrefined ways of settling things!" Suhijini replied. "I heard you guys brawl to death to settle issues."

"Strength is power," the man replied. "Unlike you faggots on the moon, we fight and decide everything through meritocracy. Not through stupid lineages."

"What makes you think we're not following meritocracy?"

"Then tell me, why do idiots get to power simply because of their family names? Eh, eh, eh?" the brawny man retorted.

"What? Who are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense, will you?"

"Oh, let me give some names. The Watatsukis, for example. Hmm…Chang'e would be another example. Let me think of some other examples…like…"

"Stop slandering unrelated people!" the lunarian retorted.

"I did not slander! I merely spoke the facts!" the brawny man replied. "Yeah, sure. How could you miss out Hecatia-sama's trick that you'd need to purify Gensokyou? Hahahahaha!"

"We are an honorable people!" the lunarian replied. "We do not use dirty tricks unlike disgusting Hellions like yourself. Get it, Kyoudo-san?"

"Sure, no dirty tricks. That's why your stupid Sagume had to hold Gensokyou hostage, huh? Hmm, delivering lectures isn't exactly my thing. I'm not Eiki. I merely torture people who refuse to reflect on their sins and ego. Ah, that includes you."

The lunarian Suhijini's temples were pulsating in fury. Her desire of beating the man beside her was burning passionately from the depths of her soul.

Meanwhile, the kishin Kyoudo gave an intimidating look as if he challenged the lunarian to battle him now.

Superintendent Kirika interfered as she tried to calm them down. The police officer knew that if they started fighting, the casualties caused would be enormous.

"Well…if you continued fighting, I'd have to arrest both of you for disturbing public order."

In response to the police officer's 'threat', the two gazed at the officer and spoke in unison.

"You can try."

Of course, the police officer knew she could not apprehend the pair. They were otherworldly beings. She doubted the police force was equipped with enough skills to handle otherworldly beings of their level.

The Special Investigations Unit was a hidden unit in the Tokyo Metropolitan Office. It was so small and concealed that even other officers thought they were merely a backup unit to assist other units.

In reality, this was a special unit that dealt with the occult. Its core competency was to deal with threats caused by magic, supernatural beings such as youkai and psychics. Still, the officers of this unit weren't trained to handle a true kishin from Hell and a lunarian.

"If you keep fighting, we'll miss out the opportunity to clamp down the Longinus Dreizhen Orden. Please, you can kill each other after the mission."

The two nemesis gave some thoughts to the superintendent's words and reached a temporary truce.

* * *

The sky was dyed golden indicating transition between day and night.

Still in their school uniforms, Usami Sumireko, Shirou Yusa, Hinata Kazumi and the other boy now stood in front of a solemn building.

Usami began by talking calmly to the boy.

"Oi, I didn't get your name. What was it again?"

"Miyazaki Kureo."

"I'll call you Miyazaki then."

The four then looked at the solemn building.

It was a peaceful church located a bit far from the city. It was surrounded by trees giving it the feeling of entering a sole building in a forest. The gentle wind blew and the leaves moved slightly following the wind's resonance.

Under the evening sky, it was dyed in golden light giving it a view of illusory majesty.

It gave a similar vibe to when Usami visited the Hakurei shrine, only that this place possessed majesty the former lacked. Perhaps such magnificence was necessary for a religious building.

Otherwise, the building would just fade away like the Hakurei shrine, visited only in special circumstances.

"Ah…I thought this is a power spot?" Usami asked.

"It is," Miyazaki replied. "Not one that you'd expect, anyway."

Without any hesitation, the four walked through the entrance gate of the church.

"This place is peaceful, don't you think?" Hinata asked. "It feels as if we're entering the domain of God."

Usami and Shirou did not comment on that woman's statement. Usami felt that entering god's domain wasn't exactly an enlightening moment, especially after her nightmares that involved her fighting gods as well.

Miyazaki approached the main door of the church. The wooden door seemed old but well-preserved.

Without any hesitation, he pulled the door and opened it.

"Oh!" a man replied from the inside of the church.

The four was left speechless. They had expected the place to be an abandoned site. That was the typical situation in many power spots – abandoned places.

The man gave a calm smile. His dress was that of a servant of the divine – a priestly robe and a cross on his chest.

"I thought there's no one coming here," the priest replied. "How may I be of service?"

* * *

"This is a good spot to power up. As expected from a power spot," muttered Suhijini. "This is quite an unexpected place."

"Power spots are usually abandoned. This building…doesn't seem to be abandoned at all," Kyoudo replied. "Hmm…"

Suhijini, Kyoudo and Tachibana were five hundred meters away from the main gate of the church.

They too, wanted to observe the church said to harbor a mad criminal that threatened the balance of the living, the dead and the realm of gods.

Four high schoolers entered their vision.

"Who are those youngsters?" Kyoudo asked. A tinge of annoyance could be felt from his words.

"They can't be the ones we're hunting, right?" Suhijini asked in an annoyed voice. The lunarian did not believe such young high schoolers to be the ones pulling the string of major events throughout history.

"Those uniforms…Higashifukami High School's uniform. Why are those high schoolers here?"

"Wait…they may not be core members…but an organization usually has their own allies, right?" Kyoudo replied. "They may be informants, local collaborators or simply being used without realizing what they're dealing with."

Suhijini did not deny that statement. The youngsters may be indirectly involved with the criminal syndicate. Thus, it would be wise to observe them.

"No, that's not it," Tachibana replied. "We've been spying this place for a few days. This is the first time they've come here. Look, that boy is hesitating to open the door."

"…He might be hesitating because he realized he's being watched. Or felt as if he was stalked."

The three turned their attention to a priest that greeted the four high-schoolers that explored the

"There he is," the police superintendent spoke. "The suspect."

"Are you sure, Tachibana? That doesn't look like a member of the LDO." Suhijini commented as she observed the priest.

Suhijini remembered her encounter with one of the members of the criminal organization.

A mad vampire with a foul mouth. She recalled how she felt when fighting that monster that could no longer be classified as a youkai.

In contrast, this priest…felt humane. The priest gave an aura of servitude and humility.

The lunarian could not believe that the priest was a member of a cold, blood lusted organization.

"The fact that this guy resides here for some time…means that he's up to something. I'm certain of it," the police spoke. She was certain of her hypothesis.

"The LDO are lunatic necromancers. I have no clue how they're able to conceal such large number of souls in their body," Kyoudo replied. "Still, is that guy really one of them? He looks like a frail priest to me."

Superintendent Tachibana scratched her head.

"He is, at this stage, a suspect. We're putting him under surveillance."

"Any suspicious activity?" Suhijini asked. "You know…"

"None notable as of now."

The police superintendent sighed. Even if there was suspicion, suspicion was meaningless without confirmation or evidence of crime. It was not enough.

"Hmm…this is quite tough. If there's no evidence, then we're simply wasting time and resources," Kyoudo retorted. "We can't afford to do that."

Superintendent Tachibana nodded as he acknowledged the kishin's advice.

"Still, there are reasons why I suspected him…"

* * *

In the spacious church, the priest sat with the four visitors on a dining table.

The priest wore a friendly smile as he entertained the guests that visited this holy place.

"I see…so you thought this was a power spot? That's quite hilarious…although it might be true."

Usami stared at the priest.

The priest continued with a soothing voice, like a father that was trying to calm his children that was lost.

"This is a place where God listens to prayers and grants our innermost desires. It is possible that the miracle of God and his Son casted a light of blessings onto this church, thus turning it into a power spot."

Usami sighed. Deep in her heart, she expected such words to come out from a priest.

(He is a pious Christian, after all.)

"Anyway, the church is the place God reserved for His children. Please, make yourself comfortable. Ah, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Valeria Trifa. As you can see, I am a priest of this church. I work here, although I am from Germany."

(Germany?) Usami thought. She remembered everything she was looking for and felt that she might know something if she asked this man.

However, it would be odd to ask a new acquaintance from Germany about an issue as sensitive as World War 2. Especially on themes such as the Nazi Party and the Holocaust.

(Should I ask him? Should I not ask him?)

As he spoke, a purple-haired nun came out from the church's dining room.

"I'm sorry for taking quite some time…" the nun spoke cheerfully. She carefully placed plates of spaghetti on the table.

The aroma of the seemingly mouth-watering dish was enough to weaken the will of the four explorers.

"This thing smells really good!" Shirou shouted.

The purple-haired nun smiled gracefully upon that praise.

The priest smiled and looked at his guests.

"Ah, this is Lisa Brenner. She's a nun in this church. Don't worry, she's a great cook!" spoke Valeria. "Right, Lisa?"

"Do not worry about me. All of you may call me Lisa. Please, help yourselves with the food. There are still more servings if you need extra," the nun replied.

The four youngsters forgot about everything else and started indulging in a feast of European food.

"This is really good!" Miyazaki spoke.

"Really! I would like to learn from you, Lisa!" Hinata replied.

"God, this is the tastiest meal I've ever had!" Shirou replied.

"Even better than what I've ever tasted before!" Usami praised.

Hearing those compliments, Lisa lowered her head as she walked away while the priest enjoyed the meal with the others.

"Lisa isn't joining us?" Hinata asked.

"Ah," Valeria replied, "she has other things to do. Personal issues."

"Can't be helped. The more the merrier, though…" Miyazaki replied.

Usami couldn't bring herself to ask the question she wanted to know badly on a dining table. She felt it might ruin the mood. As such, she stuffed her mouth with as much spaghetti she could eat to hide her frustration.

"Is it really that good?" Valeria asked as he observed Usami's compulsive eating behavior.

Usami nodded. She did not lie. The spaghetti was excellent.

"Haha. Back to what we were discussing about…power spots, was it? As a priest, I do not believe in power spots but I've heard rumors going on about it for some time. Additionally, I've come across information about the existence of places beyond human reach…like the one going wild in 2channel. What was it again…Gensokyou?"

Usami and the rest of her gang stopped eating.

"Wait, you have a 2channel account?" Hinata asked. "Wow, a priest accessing 2channel! Must be an otaku!"

"Chuunibyou!" Miyazaki replied.

"What an updated priest. I thought priests don't scroll through those troll sites," Shirou commented.

"Ahahaha…I have a Reddit account as well!" Valeria replied and took out his smartphone.

The priest calmly opened his Reddit account and showed it to the group of four.

"Unbelievable!" Shirou screamed. "Good taste down there, Priest-san!"

"So, were you guys hoping that this church is something like this Gensokyou?"

Hinata, Miyazaki and Shirou looked at the food and laughed.

Only Usami remained calm.

"Gensokyou exists. It definitely is," the psychic stressed.

"Oh?" the priest replied. "You seem to know something about that place. Mind sharing it with me?"

Usami Sumireko was shocked by the priest's request. She was expecting a retort, especially from a Christian priest that rejected a supernatural realm where non-Christian deities exist.

* * *

"My stomach is hungry…" mumbled Suhijiri. "I wanna eat…it smells so good."

Tachibana Kirika and Kyoudo nodded. Apparently, they shared the same sentiment as well.

"Well, I'll treat you guys after this," the police superintendent spoke. She could not resist the temptation of the spaghetti's aroma escaping the church.

"Yakuniku!" Kyoudo replied. "I want yakuniku!"

"Typical Hellions. Vegetable hotpot is great too!" Suhijiri interrupted.

"Shut up, herbivore! I don't only eat peaches! Peaches are nice, but you get sick of eating the same thing again and again!"

Tachibana Kirika folded her arms and shook her head.

"The most important thing is not yakuniku or hotpot!" Tachibana exclaimed. "It's sake!"

"That's right!" Kyoudo and Suhijiri replied together. For the first time, they were able to agree on something outside of work.

* * *

The priest nodded. He expressed his interest upon listening to Usami's stories.

"Really, reading them on the net is something else, but hearing it from the one who has been to Gensokyou is another unbelievable experience!"

Usami lowered her head. She wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a mere fake pleasantry.

"I wish to visit this Gensokyou someday too!" the priest continued. "Surely, God will help me on my journey there!"

(Ah…god) Usami thought.

For some reason, flashes of Hecatia, Yasaka Kanako and Kishin Sagume came to her mind.

(Those ain't god. Those are nuisance!)

"Anyway, Priest-san," Usami spoke.

Valeria immediately interrupted, asking Usami to call her by his name, Valeria.

"Ah…if you insist, Valeria-san. Is it fine if I ask you something related to World War 2?"

The priest's expression changed, but he welcomed the question.

"What is it that you seek?"

"Who is Karl Ernst Krafft?"

Valeria smiled at that question. However, there was inexplicable bitterness from his expression.

"What a peculiar name. Hmm…I can't seem to remember anything about that name, although I might have heard it in history class…ah, yes. He was an astrologer. I heard he served the Propaganda ministry after being arrested and apprehended by the leader of the Gestapo himself, Reinhard Heydrich-sa…I mean, Reinhard Heydrich."

"Reinhard Heydrich…" Usami mumbled.

"Why do you ask?" Valeria inquired.

"No, just…I'm a history and occult buff, so when I heard that the Nazis employed astrologers…"

"Ah, you love the occult!" Valeria interrupted. "I see, I see. That is fine, too."

* * *

The four students stood in front of the church's gate, with Valeria escorting them like a bodyguard.

"Thanks for the meal, Valeria-san! Send our gratitude to Lisa-san as well! She is the best!" Hinata spoke.

The priest smiled.

"Take care. Its late, you guys need to be careful."

The priest watched the children as they walked away from the church like a caring father.

Truly, it was expected from a servant of God.

As the children went further from the church, the priest's expression changed slightly.

"Usami Sumireko, was it? What an interesting fellow. How much does she know about Longinus Dreizhen Orden?"

Another silhouette appeared from behind the priest. The silhouette of a woman was kneeling respectfully at the priest.

"Apologies, the Lord Substitute and the Divine Vessel of the Lord Commander."

"It is fine."

"Why does she know of that name, Karl Ernst Krafft? Is she the Zarathustra?"

The priest smiled calmly.

"No. Do not worry too much about it, Leonhard. She's just a girl driven by curiosity. Ah, but I need her. She is the one who knows of Zarathustra. Zarathustra is not in this world."

The woman understood the meaning of that sentence.

"To find Zarathustra, we need to enter Gensokyou, is it?" the kneeling silhouette spoke.

The priest nodded.

"Before that…I think we need to settle something. Don't you agree?"

"The stalker from the lunar capital and hell, I believe?"

"Rusalka and Wilhelm should be enough to knock some sense to those idiots. Tell them to prepare for an engagement."

The silhouette nodded and disappeared in the darkness of night.

 **Author's note: For those of you who followed this story, welcome back. For those of you who read from the beginning, thanks! The pace is a bit faster since Zarathustra is in another world. No Ren, no Rea and no Marie. But I hope a better love story will come in this fanfic of mine. As usual, leave your comments and thanks for reading.**

 **For flitterflux: Touhou and Dies Irae are both wank-level due to vagueness/absolute power. I'll try my best and hope you enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 3

**As usual, Dies Irae belongs to Masada and Touhou belongs to ZUN.**

 **Chapter 3**

 _"_ _The assassination of His Excellency the Fuhrer has failed. We have identified the culprit – however, apprehending the scoundrel proved to be…well,"_

 _"_ _There are far too many suspects, I'd say? Nothing surprising. I'd name a whole battalion of rebels waiting to jump at our exalted leader's neck and cut it."_

 _A man with golden hair interrupted his hesitant subordinate with a fierce glare as they reached their destination, its corridors littered with barred cells._

 _He could tell what the subordinate intended to imply._

 _And he loathed listening to something with pre-determined answers._

 _This place – a prison for political dissidents was no different from a slaughterhouse._

 _The stench of blood, rotten corpses, rusted metal and death lingered in the stagnant air. It was hardly a surprise, after all, not more than 5% of those arrested here have left the place._

 _Such was the prospects of those arrested by the elite German secret police, the Gestapo._

 _Past offences did not matter. It was only time before the Gestapo would cook a charge of their own and proceed to execute the prisoner._

 _"_ _Yes. You are most certainly correct, Your Excellency. I have no words to describe my own incompetence."_

 _"_ _I am not here to listen to your excuses, Colonel. I see that you – a loyal servant of the state – has arrested someone in that cell."_

 _"_ _It is as you said, Lieutenant General."_

 _This was not an unprecedented approach. While the true culprit remained unknown, scapegoats were needed. Their bloods would be the oil to the grinding gears of running society._

 _"_ _I see. Well done. I will make sure that your efforts are not in vain."_

 _That Lieutenant General could decide both the sin and the gravity of punishment towards the prisoner. That was well within his scope of authority._

 _As such, he would do it again._

 _Though it might sound irrational and bigoted, but the sin of being in the wrong place at the wrong time was a grave sin._

 _The past deeds of the 'culprit' was not enough to prove 'innocence', and that was more than enough to sentence the prisoner to death._

 _The General condemned the ineptitude of the man he has yet to meet._

 _"_ _What was his name?" asked the General._

 _That pitiable failure of a man._

 _"_ _Karl Ernst Krafft. He claimed to move from his hometown after finishing his studies at Basel, Switzerland. We soon confirmed the validity of his statement…however,"_

 _"_ _But what?"_

 _The General narrowed his eyes at his subordinate's reluctance._

 _The man's behavior was not driven by fuel. Rather, it was more of distaste, perhaps aversion. As if his own body refused to mention that name._

 _"_ _Well, I'm not sure how to put this in words…but, it seems that rumors suggest this man dabbled in bizarre activities…"_

 _"_ _Prediction of the future through astrology…a magician, then?"_

 _In short, a small-time swindler, adept only at swaying the opinions of the masses by manipulating their foolishness._

 _"_ _Indeed. We know that their tricks are nothing more than smokes and mirrors, however this one is different. He predicted the assassination of the Fuhrer long before it happened."_

 _None would believe that his prediction was purely due to sorcery._

 _The age of magic was long gone. As science progressed since the Industrial Revolution, science filled the planet and faith was slowly being wiped off from the planet._

 _At the current stage, faith was nothing more than a folly, a play by scammers who claim to possess supernatural powers._

 _"_ _And so you suspect that Karl Krafft might be involved in this sham."_

 _Truly. The General thought that the man had crossed the line._

 _What a fool. He had dug his own grave as the result of trying to play the sage._

 _"_ _Excellent, Colonel. You remain rational in the face of deception and lies. In stead of the Fuhrer, please accept my praise towards you."_

 _The subordinate nodded._

 _"_ _Excellent. Then return to your post. I shall meet this swindler alone."_

 _"_ _Huh?" The subordinate was startled. "However, Your Excellency…"_

 _He couldn't possibly leave his superior alone with a swindler._

 _The General glanced at his hesitant subordinate._

 _One only needed the slightest push to make others silent – such was the knowledge gained from years of being in this line of work._

 _"_ _What is the problem, Colonel? I merely wish to probe him a little. What could he possibly accomplish while being separated from me by a set of iron bars? He is a mere swindler, at best a terrorist. I am not entering a lion's den."_

 _The man further down was no beast._

 _This was a ridiculous farce, and neither had to waste time on such ridiculous matter._

 _"…"_

 _"_ _If you've understood then return to your post. Your concern about my safety is ill-placed."_

 _"_ _As ordered, Lieutenant General."_

 _"_ _While you're at it, get some rest. Consider this an order."_

 _The General watched with indifference as the other walked away._

 _"_ _Well then…"_

 _It was time to take care of the person in that cell._

 _He proceeded down the coarse hallway._

 _He was but a few steps away from the rusted iron metal bars separating him from the man inside._

* * *

"Uwaaargh!"

The female police officer wobbled.

Was that the sign of drunkenness?

Because to the man and woman who had to support that female officer, it was a trouble in itself.

"Oh boy, she's drunk. Now, where is her house again?"

The lunarian female named Suhijini frowned.

"Fuck, her alcohol tolerance is fucking low! Why the hell did she drink too much?"

In contemporary Japan, nights were silent in streets far from the city centers.

"Don't ask me, idiot! How would I know why she drank so much?"

The man twitched his lips in annoyance. This was to be expected – this was the state of their relationship. Despite being colleagues with a similar mission, they were unable to get along.

"After I send this hopeless human back, I'm going to unwind myself. You better don't follow me, annoying kishin."

"Heh. You'd think I'd be interested to hang around with an old granny like you? Fuck that."

"What did you just say? An old granny?"

"Yes. Old granny who thinks she's a hot stuff. Why? Did I say anything wrong?"

"Every. Fucking. Sentence. Is. Wrong. You. Dipshit!"

"Naah, you lunarians are just old geezers in heavy cosmetics. Time for you to realize that universal truth and succumb to your deaths."

"I. Will. Erase. You. After. This."

"Bring it on, old witch! Think I'm shivering from a weakling like you?"

"This fucking kishin really ought to-!"

While they were bickering and mocking each other…

"What are those fuckers doing?"

A man whose skin was completely white stood on top of a building.

He was completely pale, yet his face and body showed signs of vitality and youth. His body was clad in SS uniform – clothing that was completely out of place and age.

"Oho. Look at that, Bey. Those two are really close to each other, aren't they? Such a lovely pair."

A bewitching beauty spoke. If anyone saw her, the first impression they'd have was: she was completely out of place. Such a beauty should not be hanging out with that pale-looking guy.

"Fuck that, Malleus. That's the fucking Hellion and Lunarian Christoff talked about."

"Hoo…an agent from Hell, and an alien from the Moon. How amusing. Well then…"

The environment changed.

The atmosphere felt a heavy presence, as if several thousand people had been around in that place at once.

The first to react negatively to such immense presence was Suhijini.

Lunarians were the closest beings to perfectly pure beings, beings that merely existed without the taint of life and death. As such, they were sensitive to heavy doses of 'death' lingering in any region.

Feeling that intense presence, Suhijini and Kyoudo turned back.

"That's a fucking binge eater. Not even onis eat that much – no, we don't consume souls freely like that," Kyoudo commented.

"This will be annoying. I don't know the details, but the magic they use is different from the one we use and spread on Earth," Suhijini mumbled. "This will be a tough battle."

The girl and the pale man jumped to the ground and landed casually, as if they were just leaping a few stairs onto the ground.

"What…that drunk chick's soul seems tasty enough for me," the cute girl spoke playfully.

"Heh. Don't hold me back, you hopeless bitch."

Kyoudo cracked his fingers as he proudly spoke that sentence. A renewed desire to fight to his fullest fired up his soul.

"I'm afraid that you'll be beaten to a plump. When that happens, do not seek my assistance."

The lunarian too, gave an elegant and condescending smile.

Having confessed their hatred towards each other as sworn enemies, the Hellion and Lunarian shouted as if to raise their morale.

"COME!"

As to respond to the otherworldly enemies, the two SS-uniformed agents smiled.

* * *

 _He finally reached the cell._

 _A shade of a silhouette sat in the prison cell with an almost mocking smirk on its lips._

 _The General's first impression was that of a withered tree, then a mirage._

 _Vague. Uncertain. The General could not help but to think of that man as a projection from somewhere afar._

 _The man's existence was thin, almost shriveled and withered away._

 _He resembled an old man who has achieved everything he desired. The General could not sense any hint of vitality or hope from that man. His obsidian eyes seemed to have frozen in a state of eternal decay._

 _Gazing into his eyes felt like watching a dead fish, or rather…_

 _A sea creature that survived being pulled from the depths of the sea._

 _A fish that should be able to thrive in the darkness of the sea, yet somehow managed to breath oxygen and survive on land._

 _And so it remained unable to achieve its only desire – to die and vanish for good._

 _There was no way this man was involved in the assassination of the Fuhrer. He had no aspirations to begin with. He would find no meaning in assassinating someone. This man wouldn't even care if the state was turned upside down the next day._

 _A random piece of nonsense he spoke happened to coincide with the truth. That was all._

 _"_ _So, you're the rebel they speak of? You do not look like it. I am – "_

 _"_ _Lietenant General Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich. The director of the Gestapo. Your official name embodies all that is to be prided in the Deutsches Reiches, however, your other title can be heard in the whispers of the shadows – The Hangman."_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _I am honored to meet you. I am Karl Ernst Krafft; I am usually a swindler, a terrorist at best. Both of those titles fit me better than the auspicious title of magician."_

 _"_ _I see."_

 _The man interrupted him, showing some life in his bearing. With that, the Lieutenant General had to up his impression of that man a little bit._

 _It has been a long time since someone got ahead of the man named Reinhard Heydrich._

 _The voice of that man was clearly fit for someone filled with deceit and lies. Regardless of how many malice was directed towards the prisoner, that smile would unlikely waver._

 _"_ _You seem like an interesting sort. Not many could smile before my presence – especially those in your circumstances."_

 _Reinhard acknowledged the courage the man had._

 _"_ _Allow me to be direct: Do you seek death? My livelihood is to punish those who pose a threat to the country. Should you truly be a swindler and a terrorist, then I have no option but to live up to my second name."_

 _"_ _Oh? Are you perhaps not proud of your second name?"_

 _"_ _Hmm. Maybe. Still, I do not mix my personal emotions with my job."_

 _As such, there was no one more fitting to mete out impersonal punishment._

 _He judged everyone equally, leaning towards neither of the extremes mixing no hint of emotions in his decisions._

 _"_ _Answer me then: Are you someone that my duty would extend to?"_

 _The swindler smiled, not minding Reinhard's piercing gaze._

 _"_ _How unfortunate. It seems that I'd have to acquiesce. Still…I have nothing to do with the assassination of the Fuhrer. Absolutely."_

 _A meaningless statement, if Reinhard ever heard one. He had long since grown tired of the accused pleading innocence, and knew how to deal with them._

 _"_ _They all say that at first."_

 _"_ _Then, are you going to torture me for confessions?"_

 _"_ _I could, but it would be a waste of my energy."_

 _The man understood the situation as well as Reinhard. There was no point of hiding the truth in this place._

 _Thus, he chose to reveal his mission._

 _"_ _You see, I cared little for that matter. Guilty or not, everyone dies when the time comes. A man should not be surprised to be staring at the jaws of death if he had led a life that would attract the malice of others. It doesn't matter whether you're involved or not. Someone attempted to murder a vulnerable man. That is all there is in that situation."_

 _"_ _Are you saying that my words would change nothing?"_

 _"_ _His Excellency the Fuhrer was a man in a vulnerable position. I've told you this before."_

 _It didn't end with external or internal politics. His very existence gave birth to terrorists and malice._

 _Entire countries wanted the Fuhrer dead. It would be a waste of time for the Gestapo to be occupied with the truth._

 _"_ _Therefore, the possibility of letting the true culprit get away by killing you is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. It changes nothing. I am neither free nor mad enough to obsess over erasing a single enemy in a thousand. Punish the suspicious. That is how the Gestapo works."_

 _His life had been of little worth._

 _Yet that man showed little sign of fear. He merely observed Reinhard with a thinly-veiled interest. Was he evaluating the General? Not quite._

 _That gaze was hardly simple. It pierced far deeper._

 _It reminded Reinhard of the eyes of a scientist. The look of someone scrutinizing a phenomenon to the deepest detail._

 _Did this man still think he could get away with it?_

 _He even cocked his head with an ironic smile._

 _"_ _I see. The rumors about you are indeed, true. Pray tell me, may I be granted permission to ask a question?"_

 _"_ _Go ahead."_

* * *

"Hehe. Hehehehehehe! So, those bastards have finally showed themselves once again?"

The young adrenaline seeker increased the speed of his bike.

He was equipped with a headset that allowed him to communicate with other people from afar.

"It seems that they're now at an eerily empty alley. They're fighting against…2 people I've no clue about and there's a woman who appears to be drunk."

The man could hear the voice of a woman through his headset.

"Idiots. Do they know who they're fighting against?"

"No clue. I've never seen those people before – maybe unlucky passerby that are going to die."

The man laughed to the depths of his heart as he heard the woman's emotionless voice.

"Whoa…this happens right after I went and visit a supposedly power spot? How lucky of me!"

The man smiled as he looked at something he brought along with. He seemed reckless enough, but he was prepared to face any possibility.

After all, he would do anything to break himself from the curse of foreknowledge.

"Power spot? Oh, the place you said you wanted to visit with Usami?"

"I went there with Usami and the others this evening. No joke, that place was creepy as fuck! But the food's good, so I won't complain."

"You ate there?"

"What? Now, I'm not allowed to eat?"

"That's not it. I thought you would be more…hesitant to eat at such a weird place. Well, at least you're truly abnormal-"

"It is not me who's abnormal. It is the idiots who continue to live their lives normally, accepting this curse of déjà vu lingering in their minds while saying – oh, this is just me overthinking things."

"Very well. You're 5 kilometers away from…hold on."

"Hmm?"

* * *

"Fuck! This is really hilarious! That was a good therapy. But is that all? Hell isn't that scary, after all."

The pale man returned the favor he received earlier by swinging his fist towards the kishin, Kyoudo.

The kishin leapt backwards and observed the pale man's reaction.

"Come on, be a man, you dimwit! I'm not going to use my power here – so try and entertain me, Hellion!"

(This bastard behaves like a typical oni, relying on brute force instead of magic? My, my. I should hand him over to those retarded 4 devas of the mountain.)

"Ahahaha! Good reflex you have there! Or should this be expected from residents of Hell?"

"Shut up, you vampire. I don't want to hear that from you."

The pale-skinned man revealed a wide grin as he heard that from the kishin.

It was rare for anyone to actually engage a kishin in a pure battle. Hermits would rather avoid them while celestials would seek refuge in Heaven rather than engaging with the agents of Hell.

Hence, this was a rare scene that would move the hearts of the likes of Toyosatomimi no Miko and Seiga.

The kishin, having dodged the relentless attacks from the pale man, charged forward. It was his turn to return the favor given by his enemy.

"You have lots of souls – those souls are to be returned to the natural cycle of the world."

The kishin managed to land a few punches on his enemy's body, however, the man did not seem to care much about those punches.

It was as if he declared that such punches meant nothing to him.

A kishin's punch was enough to flatten mountains, and that particular kishin was renowned as Hell's strongest.

Even then, the pale man remained unshaken.

"The only natural cycle is to serve Lord Heydrich!"

The pale man gave out a roar as if to raise his own spirit while recklessly attacking the kishin.

Taking advantage of the kishin's opening due to him reaching too closely with him, the pale man quickly swung his right leg and kicked the man's chin.

The kishin was sent flying. But he managed to correct his position and landed properly on the ground.

The pale man giggled and clapped his hand.

"That's more like it. You're a strong guy. Most bastards would have their heads severed from that kick just now."

While the two men brawled, the women in that battlefield looked at each other while directing wicked smiles towards each other.

"Wuuhuu…that's a rarity! For someone to survive Bey's attacks – he's really strong! Is he perhaps your boyfriend?" commented the woman in SS uniform. "You're quite the lucky one, then!"

"Hell no!" the lunarian screamed. "Do we look like a couple to you?!"

(Still, with that kind of soul density – I'm not sure if Toyohime's fan would work on that bastard.)

Even though the lunarian saw the kishin as a nuisance, she never doubted that veteran's strength. In terms of pure physical strength, she was certain that the kishin was far stronger than herself.

Still, the lunarian had other tricks to compensate her lack of physical strength – as a lunarian.

"He's not? Hmm, what a letdown. I was thinking that you guys might be a great pair. Well, just saying!"

"What nonsense is this? I know that humans have no common sense, but to see someone like yourself trying to match me and him – you need some proper education, I think!"

The lunarian stepped her right foot onto the ground.

Unlike Kyoudo who preferred physically-oriented battles, she was first and foremost a divinity.

A divinity such as herself do not necessarily rely on brute force. Rather, she would use her spiritual abilities to subjugate her enemies.

"It is unfortunate that humans in this side of the world have forgotten what it means to fear the darkness of night and ditched magic in exchange for science. Oh well, that's none of my business-"

An inexplicable phenomenon happened.

Strictly speaking, nothing observable happened.

However, the other woman leapt away as she observed the subtle change in her environment.

"Purification – the rejection of life and death, was it?"

The ground was instantly turned to resemble that of the Moon. Pure and void of any trace of life and death.

It was a certain technique that would work on those who thrive in the essence of life and death.

It was like bleach cleansing all dirt on the floor – removing traces of life and death alike.

"Oho. I'm quite envious! Look at that soul of yours – almost void of any trace of life and death. As if you're trying to be a mere soul without being bound by the possibility of death. Still..."

The SS-uniformed woman finally stepped on the ground. She too, was a wicked witch that knew of magic – albeit not to the extent of that mad magician calling himself Karl Ernst Krafft.

The woman felt something trying to creep into her toes.

But…

Suhijini felt cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

"Wha…?"

* * *

 _"_ _What are you planning to do once you release me?"_

 _Reinhard was rendered speechless for a moment. That was not something the executed would ask to his executioner-to-be._

 _"_ _Hmm. You certainly are a strange man. Haven't you listened to anything I said?"_

 _"_ _Oh, but I have. You arrived to meet a swindler and asked whether he wanted to die despite him being sentenced to death. If one were to turn your earlier words on their head, you could have been taken to imply that you wouldn't mind releasing the true culprit if it serves a purpose. At the very least, that's how I see it."_

 _"…"_

 _The two men regarded each other in silence. This truly seemed like magician._

 _Or at least, that was how this shrewd and silver-tongue swindler should have been called._

 _He allowed none of his thoughts to surface while using toying with words that Reinhard had uttered._

 _A queer and aberrant fellow, yet far from ineptitude._

 _"_ _Interesting. You appear smarter than I take you for. Or perhaps did I show my own foolishness here? Very well. Your conjecture has been held valid, magician. However, you're mistaken about one thing. It is not me who had come up with the design."_

 _Reinhard held up a piece of paper he brought earlier, displaying it for the prisoner to see. It was nothing more than a play of the senior officers._

 _"_ _It's an offer – whether to die here, or to live as a puppet of the state. Anyway, it's the same."_

 _He'd lose his free will. No matter what, if he lived, his actions would be always for another person._

 _"_ _Nothing slips our dear minister. Rather than executing you, he'd use this as a chance to bolster propaganda for the state, and through your prophecy, no less. It seems that Nostradamus has come into fashion in the capital for a few years now. We will win. There is no doubt about it. We need our own Nostradamus to wipe away all concerns about our earlier defeat and fill our soldiers with courage. That is all."_

 _Reinhard continued to speak._

 _"_ _Your choice, magician. I've unlocked this. Your shackles are removed. You can leave this place and live while being a puppet of the state forever."_

 _A statement smeared in nigh-ironic hypocrisy. No matter what, he'd always be subjugated under Reinhard's authority._

 _"_ _Tell me something…why do I feel discontent in your eyes?"_

 _His words do not mention of his answer. Yet, he asked something else like a curious child would._

 _Reinhard's feeling? The furtive puddle of his frustration? He didn't know. He couldn't know. He felt nothing of the sort. He narrowed his eyes, unable to find any word to address the man with._

 _Karl Krafft, observing Reinhard's momentary confusion, made an exaggerated gesture of mock consternation. He cast his gaze downwards, resembling an actor in the scene of a great tragedy._

 _A display that precipitated anger rather than empathy, yet the other man's eyes still pierced Reinhard with great sincerity._

 _"_ _You can overturn the decision of His Excellency Goebbels depending on the situation. No, you could even force our revered Fuhrer into a corner, destroying him should you desire it."_

 _Such power and authority. Many across the globe yearned for such power. Yet Reinhard wielded it at an age so young that many would envy that man._

 _To Reinhard, that magician's word surprised him. Not because the magician had read his heart like a book. But because he was able to pinpoint the exact inexplicable sensation even Reinhard could nor assess._

 _"_ _Nonsense. It was supposed to be me asking you the question. To speak nothing of the life you've forfeited – "_

 _"_ _It doesn't matter. That's what you said, and I happen to agree. My choice has nothing to do with my life or death. What I did was jest based on the truth that this country is in a maelstrom of madness."_

 _He looked at Reinhard. The emotion in his eyes was blatant, but – at the same time – abnormal to the level of incomprehensibility._

 _While the man's bizarre words were lacking in certainty, its sincerity overwhelmed Reinhard._

 _"_ _It is quite strange, for meeting you again feels me with relief. This is an exceedingly rare emotion for someone like myself."_

 _The magician spoke as if he was reunited with someone he had not met for a long time._

 _After thinking for some time, the man finally gave a response appropriate to the situation._

 _"_ _Will you please speak some sense? This is our very first meeting."_

 _"_ _Ah, of course. You wouldn't let a swindler's words sway you. Well then, allow me to accept your offer. Such a wonderful opportunity. After all, this Nostradamus was yours truly."_

Usami Sumireko's body jerked.

It appeared that she fell asleep with her smartphone on her face. The phone slid and landed on her bed.

"That dream…what was that about?"

It was true that he did look into Reinhard Heydrich before she fell asleep. But what was that dream about?

Was that how Karl Ernst Krafft and Reinhard Heydrich first met?

* * *

"Oho…Youmu is already asleep. It can't be helped then. I guess I'll just…"

Saigyouji Yuyuko. The princess of Hakugyoukuro.

In that peaceful realm, she cheerfully chewed the last available dumpling while looking up at the sky.

"How are you feeling now, O' Princess of Death?"

An assuring mercurial voice interrupted that sole peace.

Saigyouji Yuyuko turned towards the source of that voice.

"Oho. You do not need to act surprised, milady. Even in death, you are still the most beautiful soul to have ever existed."

Saigyouji looked at the silhouette of a man in black garment. She felt as if she was seeing a projection of something from afar.

Rather than being shocked, she felt like reuniting with someone she knew beforehand, but she could not recall the person's name.

"Who…?"

The mercurial man smiled.

"Ah, do not worry about me. I simply thought that I'd just drop by and visit you, my flower. I swear that I will release you from the curse placed onto you – very soon."

"What a terrifying stalker. I wonder how you'd get into here. Did Yukari send you here, perhaps?"

Even as Saigyouji said that, she felt a tinge of uneasiness as she looked at the mercurial man's face. She'd see flashes of…incomprehensible scenes and images in her mind, as if telling her that everything had happened before.

Still, the Princess of Hakugyokurou could not allow her emotions to surface.

The meek smile on the mercurial man lengthened, as if denying the woman's statement politely.

"Ah, that is not true. Our friend is in a short slumber."

"That is very much like her – sleeping is her forte, eating is mine."

"I know. You couldn't even eat properly when you were still alive. To be honest, I was a bit concerned, but seeing you like this in death relieved my heart."

The mercurial man spoke cheerfully while staring deep into Saigyouji's eyes.

"You speak no sense."

"Certainly. Although, I hope you'd accept this opera I'd prepared specially for you. Yes, you and only you – the only love of my life. I'd made many operas before, but none shall be grander than this one."

"…"

As the man finished speaking, his entire existence faded.

"Who was…"

And a word appeared in her mind.

Suigin.

 **Author's Note: .Back. Lol. Going back to hiatus once again after this - just finished internal audit. Life's pretty hectic these days. As usual, leave your comments and enjoy.**


End file.
